Fire extinguishing apparatus



May 8, 1934. E, TYDEN 1,958,284

FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l ELo flectfrlc; 3656 Qgq n l b w aa a @Vezafor.

2772a; Zjcfe m.

May 8, 1934. E. TYDEN FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 8, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT 0FFIE 8 Claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 494,592, filed November 10,1930.

A purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction for protection of buildings against fire, particularly designed for such protection to open or partly open buildings or portions of buildings, such as loading platforms of a warehouse or factory, open porticoes of public buildings or residences, open-air amphitheatres, dancing pavilions, and the like, in which, by reason of the free air circulation, the customary fusible sprinkler heads of a fire protective sprinkler system cannot be relied upon to be opened by fire heat even though the fire is in the immediate vicinity of the fusible heads, and in which also it is not prudent to employ a construction in which the pipe lines carrying the discharge heads are normally occupied by water which would be subject to freezing in cold weather.

The construction shown accordingly embodies a system of open water discharge heads controlled as to water discharge independently of the temperature in the immediate vicinity of the heads, respectively, by control as to admission of water to the service or delivery pipe line at a point therein antecedent to the part which extends in the open area to be protected. The invention consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the general character of a sectional elevation of a building or part of a building having open or partly open area, as for example, a loading platform of a warehouse.

Figure 2 is a section of a unit comprising the main control valve device, system connecting valve device and pipe connections between said valve devices.

Figure 3 is a detail portion of the sectional view of Figure 2 on a larger scale.

Figure 4 is a detail section of an electric alarm device shown as to its relation to the entire system, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the detail construction of the temperature-responsive device and valve operated thereby constituting the control line shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail section at the line, 6-6 on Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a section at the line, 77 on Figure 5.

The construction may first be described in gen eral terms without reference to specific details.

In the drawings there is shown what may be understood as basement or sub-platform space, 8, of the building. Entering the basement space from the ground, there is shown a main water supply pipe, 10, having a main water shut-off, 11, from which the water delivery line, 12, is shown extending to a control valve device, 13, and thence continued in the pipe line, 12, up through the platform indicated at 14, and toward the platform roof or ceiling, or upper floor or roof pavilion of the building, indicated at 15, where said pipe is shown connected with a service pipe system, indicated by pipe line, 16, which may be understood to be equipped with open water discharge heads, indicated at 17.

The control valve, 13, is constructed, as hereinafter more particularly described, with its inlet controlling valve, 140, and discharge valve, 141, both normally seated and adapted to be held seated against the supply pressure on the inlet valve, 140, by the pressure in the delivery line to the hereinafter mentioned service pipe system due, under certain circumstances hereinafter defined, to the pressure of a limited head of water on the aggregate area of the two valves, 140, and 141; and independently of that means and when the circumstances are such that, that means cannot be relied upon for the purpose, the valve, 140, is held normally seated by supply pressure admitted limitedly to the chamber of the controlled valve up to the full supply pressure before opening of the discharge valve, 141, is permitted.

And the control valve, 13, has associated with it a device hereinafter referred to as the connecting valve indicated at 20, and hereinafter particularly described, which is interposed in the discharge line between the control valve on the one hand, and the service line and its operating line on the other hand, and which operates normally to seal the discharge of the control valve and permit the accumulation of supply pressure above the inlet valve for holding it and the outlet valve seated.

This system-connecting-valve is arranged to be operated for opening to unseal the control valve and permit delivery of water to the service line, by fluid pressure, and such fluid pressure is provided by what is hereinafter referred to as an operating line, being a pipe line, 21, connecting the system with a source of compressed air indicated in the compressed air storage tank, 24, shown located in the sub-platform space or basement, 8.

This operating line, 21, is extended in the protected area, as seen in Figure 1, and has at each of two points in its extent, indicated by the fittings, 23, 23, a valve device, 26, controlling how or communication of fluid pressure through said operating line; and proximate to each of these valves there is located a temperature-responsive device, indicated at 25, operatively associated with the proximate valve device, 26, for causing its valve to be opened upon predetermined temperature conditions due to fire in the vicinity for opening said valve and admitting fiuid pressure to operate the system-connecting-valve, 20, to cause it to unseal the control valve, 13, and admit the water to the service line.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

The control valve indicated in totality at 13 comprises separable members, 130 and 131, clamping between them a third member, 132. The member, 130, connected directly to the supply line, with antecedently interposed shut-01f valve, 11, comprises integrally the initial part, 12 ,of the delivery line.

The member, 131, has a water discharge passage, 134, being arranged for connection at 135 with the system-connecting valve device indicated in totality by the numeral, 20, which has a valve, 208, hereinafter described, controlling the water discharge flow and operated as hereinafter described by fluid pressure arriving at said device, 20, through the control line, 21, hereinabove mentioned. The member, 132, has water inlet port at 132, with a valve seat, 136, encompassing said port, and water discharge port, 137, with a valve seat, 138, encompassing said port, said discharge port leading to a second water discharge passage, 137 which is connected for delivery of water to the delivery line 12, leading to the service line, 16, at the upper part of the protected space, that is, under the ceiling or roof of the loading platform or roof pavilion. The control valve device has an inlet valve, 140, pivoted to the member, 132, as indicated at 131, and carrying on a lever arm, 140*, at the side of its seat opposite said pivot, a water discharge valve, 141, controlling the port, 137.

The system-connecting valve indicated in totality by the numeral, 20, comprises two members, 200 and 201, which are formed with recessed mated faces at which they are mounted one upon the other, clamping between them a flexible diaphragm, 202, which thus constitutes a movable wall member of a variable capacity chamber formed by the recess, 201 of the mated face of the member, 201. The member, 200, has inlet passage, 204, and discharge passage, 205, and between said passages a port, 206, at which there is provided a valve seat, 207, for a valve, 208, having a stem, 209, provided with a guide bearing at 210, in the member, 200, said stem being extended through said bearing for connection with the diaphragm, 202. A spring, 213, reacting between the diaphragm and the guide bearing of the stem, operates to hold the valve, 208, normally seated.

The member, 201, is arranged, as seen at 211, for connection of the variable capacity chamber, 201, with the operating line, 21, leading from the compressed air tank, 24, with interposed thermostatic control valve as hereinafter described. A pipe member, 220, connects the inlet passage, 204, of the system-connecting valve device, 20, with the discharge passage, 134, of the control valve device, 13; and the discharge passage, 205, is connected as indicated at 205. to a pipe line, 12 leading to the service line, 16, and having connected intermediately at any suitable or convenient point a water motor, 40, operating an alarm indicated at 50 and requiring no further description.

The operating line, 21, is preferably arranged, as seen in Figure 1, constituting an endless circuit about the protected area, conveniently,-though not necessarily,following the general course of the service pipe line, 16; and in two selected points of its course, indicated by the fittings, 23, 23, it is furnished with flow controlling valve devices, 26, arranged as seen in detail in Figures 4 and 5 for operation by the temperature-responsive device indicated at 25, as will now be described.

The valve devices, 26, interposed as mentioned at selected locations in the operating line, may each be hereinafter referred to as a valve body fitting. These valve bodies are identical in construction and the description of one will suffice for both. The fitting is formed with an inflow passage, 230, and outflow passages, 231.

The inlet passage, 230, leads upwardly, as seen at 232, to a port, 233, opening in a chamber, 234, from which the outflow passages, 231, in plurality, as seen in Figure 6, lead do nwardly to an annular chamber connected, as seen at 21 with the operating line, 21. The chamber, 234, is formed by a hood, 235, which is mounted fluid-tight on the body of the fitting, as indicated by a packing gasket, 235 the hood being clamped to the body of the fitting by a yoke, 233 in a manner readily understood. The port, 233, is encompassed by the valve seat, 236, for the valve, 237, which is held to its seat by a displaceable strut, 238, stepped at its lower end on the valve and stopped at its upper end the countersunk end of an adjustable screw, 239, which is set through the top of the hood and clamping yoke.

The strut is made displaceable preferably,- but not necessarily,by being made easily frangible, as indicated by the reduction in diameter at about the middle of its length, indicated at 240, and having extending from the lower part below the breaking point thus indicated, a lever arm, 241, which is extended into normal contact with a flexible or otherwise slightly movable portion of the wall of the hood, indicated at 242. This flexible wall portion is exteriorly exposed oppisite the ends of the lever arm in the path of swing of a weighted lever, 60, which constitutes the operating element of a temperature-responsive device which will now be described.

A housing, 50, substantially tubular, but open at the lower side for a greater part of its length, as indicated at 51, mounted in any convenient manner on the wall or ceiling of the apartment, as by hangers or brackets, 52, 52, carries a pair of metal rods, 53 and 54, the rod, 53, being of relatively large diameter, and the rod, 54, being relatively slender. Both rods are made fast at one end in the head plate, 55, of the housing which has mounted in it at the other end a bracket member, 56, formed with a web, 57, which constitutes the head plate of the housing at that end. The bracket, 56, may constitute the support of the valve body fitting, 26, which is shown rigidly attached to said bracket by a bar, 46, bolted to both parts, and said bracket is extended for affording pivotal support, as seen at 59, for the weighted lever, 60, above referred to which extends upwardly from said pivot with the weight, 61, overhanging from the pivot.

Said weighted lever, 60, is held normally at that position against gravity bya latch member, 62,

pivoted at one end of the web, 57, of the bracket, 56, and having at the other end a catch nose, 63, which engages a catch, 64, carried by the lever, 60, all as seen in Figure 4.

At suitable places in the length of the rods, 53, and 54, the housing, 50, is furnished with suitable guide bearings for both rods, as indicated by one such guide bearing, 65, to prevent the rods or either of them from sagging between their ends by their weight as they might be liable to do when heated.

The operation of this structure in its response to temperature change is that upon slow change of temperature the two rods, 53 and 54, acquire the changed temperature at substantially the same rate; and being of the same metal, they are lengthened or shortened equally by any given change of temperature which occurs slowly. But in case of change of temperature due to fire in the apartment, and consequently taking place rapidly, the slender rod becomes heated through so as to expand longitudinally before the larger rod is equally heated through more than a small fraction of its diameter, or before it is heated to a sufficient fraction of the diameter to cause it to show any appreciable elongation.

The latch member, 62, has near its pivot a depending lug, 67, which carries a screw, 68, adjustable in the lug and protruding into encounter with the end of the rod, 54, and a stretched coil spring, 69, which connects the head of the screw with the protruded end, 53 of the rod, 53, acts for holding the latch yieldingly in position with the screw stopped against the end of the rod, 54. With this construction it may be readily understood that when the rod, 54, by its elongation in advance of any substantial elongation of the rod, 53, is thrust through the web, 5'7, which is held by the heavier rod, 54, unmoved in the housing, thrust of the rod, 54, by means of the screw, 68, against the lug, 67, of the latch, 62, causes the latch nose, 63, to be disengaged from the catch, 64, releasing the weighted lever, 60, causing the weight, 61, by its boss, 61 to encounter the thrust pin, 35, driving the latter inward against the strut, 238, breaking the latter, and releasing the valve, which is thereupon opened by the air pressure admitting that pressure from the pressure source, 24, through the operating line, 21, to the systemoonnecting valve, 20, as above described. At any convenient point in the operating line beyond the thermostatically operated controling valve, there is desirably connected with said operating line an alarm device adapted to be operated by the pressure in the operating line. As illustrated, this alarm is an electric bell, 60 having its controlling switch, 61, arranged to be operated for closing the circuit by the pressure in the operating line, as may be understood from Figure 4 without further description.

Upon consideration of the construction, it may be understood that smoke or gases from the fire at any part of the protected area, will rise quickly to the ceiling, and any air draft through the space will carry these gases to one end or the other, and they will be trapped in the hood or housing, 50, of one or the other of the temperature-responsive devices, and will cause said device to operate for opening the valve of the operating line, admitting the fluid pressure therein to the chamber, 201 of the system-connecting valve, 201, and causing the diaphragm, 202, to operate the valve, 208, opening the discharge of the control valve and permitting the inlet valve, 140, to be opened by the water pressure from the supply line, 10, by way of the part, 12 of the delivery line, thereby causing water to be delivered through the line, 12, to the open discharge heads.

Upon considering the construction as thus far described it may be understood that starting with the system empty and the water supply shut off, the valves, 140 and 141, will both be seated by gravity, and upon opening the shut-on valve, 11, to admit the water freely, both valves, 140 and 141, will be opened by the supply pressure operating on the area of the valve, 140; the water thus admitted will occupy the cavity of the control valve device, 13, and pass up through the pipe line, 12, toward the open sprinkler head system, 16, until the head pressure developed in the upward extent of the line, 12, plus the weight of the two valves, 140 and 141, and their carrying lever arm,-said pressure operating on the aggregate area of the two valves, 140 and 141,-exceeds the force of the water supply pressure acting on the area of the valve, 140, only; and as this condition is approached, the valves, 140 and 141, will settle toward their seats and will both be seated when the condition described is reached, which will be practically instantly after the supply pressure is admitted. And thus the normal set-up of the system ready for automatic operation by fire extinguishment upon the occurrence of fire, is with the valves, 140 and 141, seated.

This manner of operation causing the valves, 140 and 141, to be seated, notwithstanding the supply pressure tending to open them and hold them open, it will be observed can be relied upon only in instances in which the open head water discharge system is in a floor of the building, as for example a dancing pavilion on the roof of a ten story building, at so high a level that the hydrostatic head of the water column in the discharge line leading to that floor is a larger fraction of the water supply pressure than the area of the inlet valve, 140, is of the aggregate area of the two valves, 140 and 141. Accordingly, in the construction shown, means is provided for avoiding reliance upon the hydrostatic pressure as described for holding the valve, 140, normally seated, this construction consisting in mounting the valve, 141, on the lever arm which carries both this valve and the valve, 146, with a slight range of movement toward and from its seat, or more correctly described, with a slight range of movement of the carrying lever arm with respect to the valve, 141, when the latter is seated, so that when the valve, 141, is fully seated, the valve, 140, may be slightly opened without opening the valve, 141. This construction is seen in the drawings indicated by the slight spacing of the valve, 141, at seated position from the stop shoulder, 141 of the guide bearing of the stem, 141 of the valve in the lever arm, 142.

With this construction an operator sufiiciently skilled in setting up the system for operation, will first open the shut-01f valve, 11, very slightly so as to admit the water pressure slowly to the chamber of the control valve, 13, and holding the shut-off valve thus slightly open until the cavity of the valve, 13, is filled, so that the full supply pressure is operative in the chamber upon the valve, 141, which will not have been opened, and when this condition is reached it will be seen that the supply pressure in the chamber counterbalancing said pressure for holding the valve, 140, open, that valve will be closed by gravity and will not be opened by the supply pressure when the shut-off valve is fully opened.

This mode of operation, however, requires considerable skill on the part of the operator to avoid opening the shut-off valve so widely that the supply pressure will operate for opening the valve, 140, beyond the limit of the play of the lever arm with respect to the valve, 141, which if it should happen would prevent the setting of the construction as described for causing the valve, 140, to be seated against the full supply pressure. And in the construction shown, to avoid reliance of such skill of the operator, separate means is provided for admitting the supply pressure to the cavity of the control valve, 13, without opening the shut-01f valve until the full supply pressure is thus admitted above the valve for holding it seated as above described.

This separate means consists in the provision of a small by-pass pipe, 145, connected at one end with the supply main antecedent to the shutoff valve, 11, and extending for connection at the other end with the chamber of the control valve, 13, as seen at 146, a valve, 147, being interposed in this by-pass pipe which may be opened by the operator for admitting the supply pressiu'e directly to the cavity of the valve, 13, without opening the shut-off valve, 11. In order that the operator may be accurately advised when the full supply pressure has been admitted to the cavity of the control valve, 13, there is connected with said control valve, 13, and most conveniently by connection with the by-pass pipe, 145, a pressure gauge indicated at 148, upon which the operator having opened the valve, 147, will note the rise or" pressure until it ceases to rise which will indicate that the pressure in the cavity of the control valve, 13, is the full supply pressure; and that the shut-ofl valve, 11, may be opened for setting the system in condition for fire protection.

In either of the methods of setting up above described, it will be recognized that the accumulation of pressure for holding the inlet valve seated is possible by reason of the provision of the normally seated valve, 208, of the device referred to as the system-connecting valve, said valve, 208, being not only normally seated by the spring, 213, but further held to its seat by the pressure developed by the admission of the water supply pressure, whether this is effected by the slight opening of the inlet valve, 140, not operating to open the outlet valve, 141, or by the admission of the water through the pipe, 145, by-passing the inlet valve, 140, this accumulation of pressure, as described, up to the degree of the supply pressure being due to the seating of the valve, 208, preventing the discharge or venting of the pressure past that valve, which accordingly may be referred to as the vent-controlling valve.

I claim:

1. A construction for the purpose indicated comprising a valve body having an inlet and a supply line connected thereto and an inlet valve arranged to seat against the inflow, said valve body having two outlets, a discharge line leading from one of said outlets and a normally seated valve controlling the other of said outlets arranged to be held seated by the pressure in said discharge line leading from the first mentioned outlet, said discharge line comprising a valve body and a valve therein arranged to be normally seated by discharge pressure in said line, and means for opening said valve said first mentioned normally seated outlet valve being carried by said inlet valve with limited range of movement relatively thereto for permitting said inlet valve to be slightly opened without opening the outlet valve, a supply pipe having a manually operable shut-off valve antecedent to the first mentioned inlet valve, whereby the supply pressure may be admitted under control for accumulating pres sure beyond the inlet valve without opening the outlet valve.

2. A construction for controlling the supply of water to a water distributing system consisting of a chambered valve body having a water supply inlet port and a main water discharge outlet port; a main water supply pipe from a source of water under pressure connected at the inlet port; a main water discharge pipe extending for supply to the distributing system connected at the main outlet port; an inflow-controlling valve within the chamber seating at the inlet port against the water inflow pressure; an outflow controlling valve within the chamber seating at said main outlet port in the direction of outflow, said two valves being operatively connected for moving each other in seating direction toward their respective seats, whereby the inflow supply pressure operating on the area of the inflow valve tends to open both said valves both said valves being mounted with relation to their seats for being normally seated by gravity, whereby accumulated pressure within the chamber approximating supply pressure due to water inflow operating on the seating areas of both valves against the supply pressure operating on the area of the inlet valve only operates for holding both said valves seated; the chamber having a second outlet port for venting the accumulated pressure in the chamber, fluid-pressure-operated means normally sealing the vent port; fluid pressure connection to said means from a source of fluid pressure; valve means controlling said connection and a temperature-responsive device operatively connected with said valve means for venting the fluid pressure to release the sealing means, the water supply pipe having a manually operable shut-01f valve antecedent to its connection with said chambered valve body; a conduit connected at one end with the Water supply pipe antecedent to said shut-off valve and at the other end for discharge in said valve body chamber, and a shut-01f valve in said conduit operable at will to admit the supply pressure to said chamberby-passing the first mentioned shut-off valve and said water inlet valve.

3. In a fire protective apparatus, the combination with a system of water discharge heads of a main water supply valve device having a chambered body with an inlet arranged for connection with a source of water under pressure and a discharge flow connection for delivering the water supply to the system discharge heads, said chamber having an inlet controlling valve and a separate valve controlling the outflow to the discharge head system, both said valves being arranged to be held normally seated by fluid pressure in the chamber, and being associated for partial opening of the inlet valve without opening the outlet valve, and opening of the outlet valve upon full opening of the inlet valve, apparatus comprising a second valve device, the first mentioned valve device having, in addition to said valve-controlled outlet to the system, a second outlet, and a passage from said second outlet to said second valve device, a normally seated valve controlling flow through said second valve device, and a passage leading from said second valve device to an open discharge, and automatically operating means for opening said last mentioned valve.

4. An apparatus for protecting buildings against flre comprising a water supply pipe from a source of water under pressure; a valve device controlling delivery of Water from the supply pipe and having an outlet; a water delivery system extending in an area to be protected having normally open water discharge heads and a discharge line leading from said outlet to said system, said valved device having a normally seated inlet valve related to its seat for being held seated by pressure in the discharge line; a normally seated valve interposed in the discharge line; pressure-responsive means for opening said normally closed valve; valve controlled connection from a source of fluid pressure to said pressure-responsive means, and automatic means for releasing said fluid pressure to operate said pressure-responsive device, the first mentioned valved device having a second outlet, and a second discharge line leading to the Water delivery system, and a valve controlling discharge at said second outlet arranged to be normally seated by the pressure in the first mentioned discharge line, and operatively associated with the inlet valve for opening thereby when the valve in the first mentioned discharge line is opened.

5. The construction defined in claim 3, the main water supply valve device having associated therewith antecedent to the inlet, a shut-ofl valve operable at will and limitable at will as to the degree of opening, whereby the supply pressure may be admitted gradually to develop pressure in the chamber of the main water supply valve device for seating and holding seated the inlet valve while the outlet valve remains seated.

6. In a flre protective apparatus having a water delivery system equipped with open discharge heads, a valve device controlling admission of water to the system comprising a chambered valve body having an inlet and a water supply pipe connected thereto, a water outlet and a discharge pipe line connected thereto leading to the open head discharge system, and a vent outlet and vent pipe line connected thereat, and a normally seated valve in said vent line; an inlet controlling valve and an outlet controlling valve mounted within the valve body both arranged to be normally seated, the inlet valve arranged to be opened by water supply pressure, and the outlet valve being arranged to be held seated by pressure produced in the valve chamber and vent line by the water supply pressure when the inlet valve is opened, and the vent valve is seated, the inlet valve being operatively connected with the outlet valve for opening the latter by the opening movement of the former when the pressure in the vent line is released by the opening of the vent valve, and automatically operated means for opening the vent valve to release the pressure and admit water by way of the open outlet valve to the open head delivery system.

'7. The construction defined in claim 6, the vent line beyond the vent controlling valve being extended for discharge in the open head delivery line, whereby the waste of water through said vent line is avoided.

8. A water discharge system comprising a main Water supply pipe; a chambered valve device controlling delivery of water from said main pipe and having discharge connection to the system; a service pipe line extending in an area to be served by the system, and a delivery line leading from the discharge of said valvedevice to said service line, said valve device comprising a mainwater-inlet-controlling valve and a dischargecontrolling valve both seating interiorly of the chamber connected for operating each by the opening and closing movement of the other, said discharge-controlling valve being arranged to be operated for opening by the supply pressure upon the admission of pressure to the delivery line, and flow connection communicating said pressure from the chamber of said valve device to the delivery line and thereby to said discharge-controlling valve; a normally closed valve controlling said flow connection arranged to be operated for opening by fluid pressure; a source of fluid pressure; an operating pipe line from the source to said normally closed valve; a valve in said operating line controlling access of pressure therethrough to said normally closed valve; a temperature-responsive device positioned at selected location in the protected area operatively associated with the operating line valve for opening said valve to admit pressure to the normally closed valve upon predetermined temperature conditions affecting said device.

EMIL TYDEN. 

